Strong Growth in Energy Sector Jobs Spurred by Green Vehicle Manufacturing

June 29, 2022 by Dan McCue
Strong Growth in Energy Sector Jobs Spurred by Green Vehicle Manufacturing
U.S. Department of Energy headquarters. (Photo by Dan McCue)

WASHINGTON — Employment in the U.S. energy sector rose 4% last year, led by an increase in workers at firms building electric and other low-emission vehicles, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday.

In a new report, the department said employment in the manufacturing of greener vehicles and their components, a category that takes in hybrid electric, full battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, rose by about 25% last year, accounting for about 64,500 additional jobs.

By comparison, the overall number of jobs in the motor vehicle sector rose only 9%, though it accounted for 228,100 jobs.

Jobs in solar energy rose about 17,500 or about 5.4%, while wind power jobs rose about 3,350, or 2.9%, the report said.

At the same time, employment in the oil and gas industry fell 6.4% – or about by 31,600 jobs – mostly due to a slackening of demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Overall, the energy sector added more than 300,000 jobs, increasing the total number of energy jobs from 7.5 million in 2020 to more than 7.8 million in 2021, the report said.

In a call with reporters, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the report is “good news to build on.”

At the same time, however, she said it’s critical that Congress act to pass additional climate-related legislation to maintain this momentum.

“We’re going to need more clean energy tax credits from Congress if we’re going to turbo-charge this progress and create millions more good paying, high quality jobs,” Granholm said.

In terms of demographics, the report’s authors found that the energy workforce is about 74% male, making it less gender diverse than the U.S. workforce average, which is 53% male. 

Women make up about 25% of the energy workforce, the report said, much less than the U.S. average, which is 47%. 

In addition, there is a higher percentage of non-White workers in energy, 26% compared to 22% of the entire U.S. workforce. However, the energy workforce has a lower-than-average percentage of Black and Latino workers. There are no technologies where Black workers are represented proportionally to their overall representation in the U.S. workforce.

Workers of two or more races are more represented in nearly every energy technology, composing 8% of the energy workforce, compared to 2% across all U.S. industries. Economy-wide research, however, shows that respondents may answer inconsistently to questions about two or more races.

Finally, the report said, the energy workforce is younger than average. Only 17% of the energy workforce is older than 55, which is lower than the national employment average of 24%.

Asked about the downturn in oil and gas sector hiring, the secretary said she expects those numbers will rebound as companies in the sector produce more to meet demand and sanctions imposed after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine limits the amount of Russian oil and gas on the market.

“We want to see an increase in supply,” Granholm said of oil and gas. 

“But ultimately, most project that there will be a demand curve that comes down and that this transition [to cleaner, renewable sources of energy] will happen,” she said.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue.

A+
a-
  • Energy Sector
  • jobs
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Employment

    March 25, 2024
    by Jesse Zucker
    What Happens During Burnout and How to Cope

    WASHINGTON — Many of us, from time to time, may feel a little “burned out.” Spreading ourselves too thin with... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Many of us, from time to time, may feel a little “burned out.” Spreading ourselves too thin with work, family, relationships, health and other obligations can take its toll. The term burnout is technically a psychological condition related to the workplace. Since COVID-19 began,... Read More

    Trump Wants to Fire Thousands of Government Workers. Liberals Are Preparing to Fight Back if He Wins

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has plans to radically reshape the federal government if he returns to the White House, from promising... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has plans to radically reshape the federal government if he returns to the White House, from promising to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally to abolishing government agencies and firing tens of thousands of workers and replacing them with loyalists. Liberal organizations in... Read More

    Inflation Slowed Further in December as Economic 'Soft Landing' Moves Into Sharper Focus

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge cooled further last month even as the economy kept growing briskly, a... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge cooled further last month even as the economy kept growing briskly, a trend sure to be welcomed at the White House as President Joe Biden seeks re-election in a race that could pivot on his economic stewardship. Friday’s... Read More

    December 22, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    President Signs Order Giving Civilian Fed Workers 5.2% Raise

    WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday signed an executive order fulfilling his promise to provide civilian federal workers with... Read More

    WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday signed an executive order fulfilling his promise to provide civilian federal workers with an average 5.2% pay raise starting in mid-January. Biden had proposed the bump in salaries in the 2024 budget proposal he released last March. According to... Read More

    In Milwaukee, Biden Looks to Highlight Progress for Black-Owned Small Businesses

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is aiming to use a visit to the battleground state of Wisconsin on Wednesday... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is aiming to use a visit to the battleground state of Wisconsin on Wednesday to spotlight a surge in federal government support for Black-owned small businesses during his White House tenure and to highlight his administration's efforts to ramp up... Read More

    December 6, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Greene Seeks to Reinstate Pilots Fired Due to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has introduced legislation in the House aimed at reinstating pilots who were fired... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has introduced legislation in the House aimed at reinstating pilots who were fired or forced to resign due to COVID-19 vaccination mandates. A companion bill is being sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. While there is... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top